According to the 2009 Greening of Corporate American Report, released by McGraw-Hill Construction and Siemens, companies across the United States are amping up their sustainability efforts and increasing their efficiencies. Specifically:
• 76% of firms have made significant commitments to sustainability and as a result, the firms of tomorrow must be innovative in their sustainability plans to stand out in the market and gain a competitive advantage.
• Three out of four firms view sustainability as consistent with their profit missions. They expect that green practices tied to core business strategies will reduce energy costs (75%), retain and attract customers (70%) and provide market differentiation by contributing to the financial performance of the company (61%).
• The economic crisis has supported, rather than deterred, sustainability activity; 57% of those polled believe sustainability practices are either unaffected or aided by the down economy.